Email etiquette rules everyone should follow

We’re all guilty of committing an email faux pas from time to time. If only you could delete the memory of forwarding that inappropriate email to the wrong person! Well, just follow these commandments of email etiquette and you’ll never need to cringe again.

Reply all with caution

“Do not reply all unless every single person on that distribution list needs to know what you need to say,” says Aimee Symington, CEO of Finesse Worldwide.
She suggests reviewing the names on the list and replying only to those who actually require your response. That may mean replying to just the sender or three of the seven recipients. And if your manager or colleague wants to be copied on something, respect her request.

Whatever you do, don’t leave it blank. When crafting a subject line, make it specific and concise, and watch your spelling and grammar. “It’s the first thing a person notices,” Post says.

Respond promptly

While experts don’t agree on a proper response time for emails, they do concur that just about every email deserves an answer. If a simple response (“Got it, thanks” or “Sounds like a good plan”) will suffice, try to reply as soon as you read an email.

And remember to use an auto-reply message if you’re traveling or out of the office, she adds, so others know they shouldn’t expect a response.

Forward with caution

“Make sure you’re forwarding to the right people for the right reasons,” says Post. Before you forward, evaluate the sensitivity of the content—that includes any attachments and the names and contact info for everyone associated with the message.
Some people would prefer that their contact info remain private. If a thread contains too many detailed points of a discussion, start a fresh email.

Tell someone if she’s been hacked

We’ve all been there. A virus takes hold and before we know it, we’re spamming Grandpa with links that would make anyone blush. If you receive what’s obviously a virus, notify the victim who might not be privy to what’s going on. “Just say, ‘I wanted to let you know this is happening,’” Symington says. “That’s a nice thing to do.”

Respect the art of emailing

You care about making a good impression in person, so why not hold your email persona to the same standard? “Email is a reflection of you and should be written like a letter more than a text, while still keeping in mind brevity,” says Symington. Check your spelling, grammar, and punctuation. All caps indicates you’re yelling, and all lowercase implies you’re lazy. Too many fonts, colors, and smiley faces can be irritating, she adds.

Be friendly without trying to overdo the humor. “Err on the side of caution even if you have a sense of humor,” says Gottsman. The tone is too often muddled in an email, and you don’t want to come off as unprofessional because someone doesn’t get your joke.

Remember: No email at dinner

It’s one thing if you’re having a casual meal with a significant other (and date night is tomorrow), but absolutely don’t check email at a dinner party, says Post. As for meetings at the office, it depends. If colleagues bring phones or laptops to conference rooms to access email during meetings, then it’s probably fine. “Be aware that company cultures are going to have different policies around email,” she says. “Know the nature of email at your work in order to be appropriate.”